Sarah Larson is living with her boyfriend Jonathan in a small apartment, trying to make ends meet. Sarah has an enormous debt, accrued by Aunt Clara when she was terminally ill, and the medical bills just didn't stop coming. Aunt Clara brought Sarah up after her parents died in a traffic accident.

Both Sarah and Jonathan are working as waiting staff at restaurant Hearth, but already Sarah is struggling to hold everything together with the multiple shifts she is working. She then espies an ad, posted on the general noticeboard in their apartment block, for a wealthy family in need of a nanny. It transpires that the family is living up at W 78th Street, a very posh part of town. That could be just the get out she is looking for!

She learns early on that this extremely wealthy and private family - the Birds - has rigorous ways, they are adept at maintaining tight privacy, and she learns an early and salutary lesson that everyone should always go through an employment contract with a tooth comb. As it is, she is now contractually obliged to care for her charge, little 3 year old Patti, soon to turn 4.

She finds herself commuting to the apartment on the Upper West Side and becomes a firm member of staff, alongside the housekeeper and the chef. Mum Colette is clearly a little labile and significantly older brother Stephen seems to run the household; father Alex is absent for much of the time, storming in when he is in town.

This is a psychological thriller, a rather wacky story that kept me going to the end. It is well written and competently - and at times quiveringly - narrated on audiobook by Emma Ashton. There are red herrings due to some shortfalls in editing but there are others intrinsic to the plot that move the story along quite nicely. It is atmospheric and chilling and gives the sense of lives lived in this wealthy part of Manhattan.

I found it entertaining enough as I listened to it on various walks, and was keen to continue listening; but for me it was overly contrived and at times verged on being just a little silly.

This is a gripping story that had me eagerly listening at every opportunity.

Sarah is up to her eyes in debt and when she comes across an advert for a job as a nanny which could be the answer to her troubles, she jumps at the chance but if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is!!!!

Sarah quickly discovers that the people she is working for a little bit odd and as secrets are revealed, she is in too deep to get out.

A very entertaining and engrossing story with a twist that I didn't see coming and with a narrator who does a great job.

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

Thank you for the chance to read this book !! And did I enjoy it !!! Wow I loved it !! I love thrillers more than any kind of book and this one just hit the mark !!! I’ve listened to this alongside reading it so have no it really had to stop along the way as I have been switching and good job I could as when you start it really is hard to put it down !!! The characters are great and believable , well developed . If you love a twisty turns thriller you will not be disappointed !!! Make sure when you start you have time to read as once you start ……no putting down !!! Enjoy !!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Nanny Needed' by Georgina Cross

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Avon publishers and Georgina Cross.

Publication date 28th April 2022.

This is the second book that I have read by this author. I have also read 'The Stepdaughter' which I would highly recommend!!

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and intriguing title and synopsis. The synopsis stated that this book is 'Perfect for fans of The Nanny, The Couple Next Door and The Family Upstairs'. I am a fan of all these books so am looking forward to seeing if it lives up to this claim. I am also a huge fan of Georgina and if this book is half as good as 'The Stepdaughter' it is bound to be a page turner!! I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 59 chapters which are short to medium in length so perfect to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is written in first person perspective with the main protagonist being Sarah. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. The way it was written made me feel like I was right next to Sarah throughout.

Wow!! WTAF?!? JUST WOW!!!! Where do I even begin? What an absolutely gripping, intense psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, flying through the pages and full of suspense!! Filled with twists, turns, red herrings, lies, secrets,shocks and explosive twists you won't see coming!!! I have read hundreds of books and this has been the one that has shocked me the most this year and it has definitely hit my top 3 biggest twists of all time!!! I WAS absolutely hooked from beginning to end and just could not put it down. I loved the fact that it had a creepy gothic atmosphere throughout and OMG did the hairs on the end of my arms raise!! My heart was absolutely pounding throughout and I was on the edge of my seat. When the big reveal came my mind was absolutely blown away and this is definitely one of the few books that will stay with me for a very long time.

Do not even attempt to start this until you have cleared yiur schedules as you will not be able to put it down!!!

The characters were strong and realistic and I was completely invested in them from beginning to end. I need to be careful here that I don't say too much and give anything away so I'll keep it quite short. I really clicked with Sarah and my heart went out to her and Jonathan. They are the perfect couple just trying to make ends meet and when Sarah finds the perfect opportunity to give themselves a new start then how can they say no?? My heart absolutely broke at a certain point in this book. Sarah and Jonathan are such likeable and friendly characters which definitely helped me become completely absorbed in the storyline. Unfortunately I am not going to give any if my thoughts on the rest of the characters, I've been thinking and thinking but there doesn't seem to be a way for me to give my honest opinion of them without giving too much away. However, if you have read this, and you'll be mad not too, feel free to pop me a message and let me know what you thought of the characters and the storyline!!

Congratulations Georgina on an absolutely explosive page turner!!! Also a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS on writing a book that has shocked me the most this year!!! I read about 30 plus books a month so this is no easy feat but you managed it!!! This is exactly why you are one of my favourite authors!!! Here's to your next success!!! 🥂

Overall a mind blowing, suspense filled psychological page turning thriller with an explosive ending you WILL NEVER SEE COMING!!!

Genres covered include Suspense, Mystery, Psychological Fiction, Thriller, Gothic Fiction, Psychological Thriller and Moor Fiction

I would recommend this book to fans of any of the above as well as fans of 'The Nanny' , 'The Couple Next Door' and 'The Family Upstairs' and for fans of page turning books that leave you shocked.

361 pages.

This book is £2.99 to purchase on kindle via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I loved it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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First of all I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for both the audio and ebook of this book in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. What a book.

This book is just what I needed. I have been in such a slump lately and this has well and truly got me out of it. I read/listened to this book in two sittings as I couldn't stop and I genuinely didn't want it to end.

I was unsure what I would make of this book as I had seen people's reviews saying you have to stretch your imagination and yes I agree in some parts you do but isn't that the joys of reading fiction?!

I also loved the characters in this book, I had such a love/hate relationship with Collette but she really did win my heart in the end. I love an author that can make you feel like that about characters. I will certainly be keeping my eyes out for more Gerorgina Cross.

If you're looking for a quick, twisty, creepy thriller then this is for you!

<p><i>Nanny needed. Discretion is of the utmost importance. Special conditions apply.</i></p>

When Sara Larsen, drowned in debt, sees the flyer on the notice board of her apartment, she and her fiance, Jonathan, are on cloud nine. They might get out of their crushing debt <I>and </i> put away some money for their wedding if Sara gets this gig.

When Sara lands up at the interview with the Birds, she instantly takes a liking to her new boss, Collette Bird. All she has to do is to nanny a nearly 4-year-old who has loads of toys. The job is easy. It seems almost too easy.

But when Sara joins work, she is in for a great surprise.

This is one of the most craaaaaaaazzzzaaayyy books I have read in some time. True, there were gaping plot holes but the author has managed to tie up most of them. And the ending was something I didn't expect at all.

I listened to the audiobook read by Emma Ashton and she was BRILLIANT!

4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK Audio for the audio ARC.

Firstly, many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sarah is a 26 year old struggling to finance the medical bills of her late Aunt Clara who brought her up following the death of her parents at the age of 5. Whilst waitressing with her fiance, Jonathan, she sees a flyer posted for a nanny to work in an upmarket area of New York City. Sarah thought this well paid opportunity with the secretive Bird family would be the answer to all her problems - little did she know what she was letting herself in for as she entered the bizarre and dangerous world of a family full of dark and disturbing secrets.
This was a gripping and suspenseful thriller, somewhat far-fetched, but all the same very entertaining. I certainly did not see the twist towards the end coming!
Highly recommended for lovers of psychological thrillers and certainly an author I will look for more reads from in the future.

Description 🔖

A job advertisement is left in the lobby of an apartment building in New York; Nanny needed, special conditions apply. Sarah Larson happens to be the first person to see the notice and snaps it right up. She’s never been a nanny before but she needs the money and how hard could taking care of a little kid be?

At the interview, Sarah cannot believe how lucky she is to be considered for this role. The family seeking a nanny live on the upper west side, in a penthouse apartment and ooze glamour. The mother seems more like a friend than a boss and the salary is too good to pass on. So when Sarah is offered the job, she jumps at the opportunity and signs the NDA without a question.

There has to be a reason that the Bird family require an NDA though right? Sarah soon finds out there is something not quite right in the Birds’ penthouse but by the time this starts to become clear, it’s too late to ask anyone for help.

General Thoughts 🤔

The first third of this book was amazing. I was drawn in immediately and was desperate to know what was going on with the Birds. There were so many red flags and I was almost screaming at the characters to wake up and smell the New York coffee. Then the bomb was dropped and I have to say I was gobsmacked. But then the second third of the book was a bit of an anti-climax. Nothing much happened and it seemed like story filler to me which was a bit disappointing after such a good start.

The book did redeem itself within the final third when there were some other reveals and twists revealed that I didn’t see coming. There were probably some signs of this coming earlier in the book but unfortunately I had become somewhat disengaged so potentially missed them.

Characters 👫👭👬

Sarah was so naive I couldn’t believe it. I don’t think she had ever heard of the expression “if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is”. I should cut her some slack as she was quite desperate at the time of taking the job (from a financial perspective) so maybe I would have conveniently overlooked the warning signs if I had been in the same position. I don’t know how she managed to adhere to her NDA for so long as I am far too loose lipped to have kept something that big a secret.

I really liked Mrs Bird. I thought she was a really endearing character and I found it impossible to not feel sympathetic towards her. The woman had obviously been through a lot and never had anyone in her life to help her work through her problems. It proved that money really can’t buy you everything.

Writing Style ✍️

If I put the middle section of the book aside, I enjoyed this authors writing style. The plot was crazy, don’t get me wrong, but it worked. As long as you can overlook the cray cray and allow yourself to go along for the ride, you will get along fine. I could imagine this book translating well into a drama or movie.

I listened to the audiobook of Nanny Needed and it took me some time to get used to the narrator. I felt like she added pauses and breaths into places that weren’t required and it sounded so odd. It may be petty, but once I had picked up on it, it was so difficult to listen past it. I did eventually manage to ignore it, but it took some effort.

Conclusion & Scoring 🎖

Although there was some aspects of this book that I was disappointed with/didn’t get along with, I did really enjoy the beginning and the end. There are certainly some twists and surprises within the story and there was plenty of crazy which I love. I do honestly think this story would work well on screen and someone should snap it up to write a screenplay for it. If you’re going to read Nanny Needed, I think I’d recommend reading as opposed to listening. Otherwise, go into it expecting looney tunes and you’ll enjoy it.

When I requested the book, I hadn’t known it would be the audiobook format, but in any case, the plot sounded intriguing so I decided to give it a try. Sadly, it never really took off. I could neither connect with the character, nor be convinced by the setup. The plot needed way too much suspension of disbelief. Why would a person in so much debt be so casual about turning up to work on time? Why would the family be playing this ridiculous drama instead of getting someone with severe mental health issues proper treatment? And don’t get me started on the “twists” in the end. Very Bollywood overall!

(Review copy received from NetGalley)

Things I loved:
- I think this might be the fastest I’ve listened to an audiobook - it was such an easy book to follow with a good balance of pace, dialogue & description
- The story was intriguing & I enjoyed the twists throughout! I did predict part of the ending which is always satisfying when you get it right & didn’t hinder my enjoyment (Hello🕵🏻‍♀️ Kim)
- Blurb vs story just wasn’t what I expected - in a good way! What’s actually going on with this Family wasn’t your typical storyline - certainly not one I’ve read/listened to before! I felt empathy, frustration, confusion you name it!

Things I struggled with:
- You do need to suspend your belief a little bit as you go, like most thrillers, the most sensible decisions aren’t always made & it’s a bit bizarre but it made for entertaining listening!

Read/listen to this if:
- You’re looking for a quick, easy thriller
- You love family secrets
- You can play ‘make believe’

What a gripping mystery

This was a very disturbing but good read.

Thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish and could not get enough of.

This is a must read for anyone who enjoys a good thriller!!
Absolutely loved the characters, the plot, the tension - impossible to put it down.
Certainly recommended!

See this is a hard review to write.
On one hand I actually really enjoyed the book. It was a fantastic plot and well thought out, but I'm kicking myself for having heard it via audiobook and not by reading it properly. The audiobook narration was robotic and boring. It has really had not done this book any favours at all. I know that in my head this book would have been catapulted into something brilliant! Something I would have been so excited about and wanting to share with people straight away. I know the connection to the characters would have been strengthened and the plot more relaxed and strange.
I'm not a fan of audiobooks because of this. And I hate that I'm probably about to take points off of this book for that which seems totally unfair.
I can't go back in time and choose the book option instead though. I can only wait for a year of two to pass and pick up that book and start again.
Until then though I'll tell you to try Nanny Needed and to let it take you on its journey of selfishness, greed, secrets and lies. To let it call out to you and guide down into the dark life of the Bird family.
3/5

Overall I felt the book lacked nuance. The premise is good, but not particularly original. Sarah’s reactions at the start of the book seemed over the top to me and it could have benefitted from a lot more subtlety throughout the story, so you could work some things out for yourself. There was a pretty good twist at the end.

3/5

With thanks to HarperCollins UK Audio, Avon and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this audiobook, in return for a free and unbiased review.

Nanny needed. Discretion is of the utmost importance. Special conditions apply.

When Sarah Larsen, a waitress deeply in debt, finds a notice advertising a nanny position at an exclusive NYC address, she thinks she has nothing to lose in applying. Nobody is more surprised than her when she interviews for the position and gets the job, despite her complete lack of nanny experience. But when things like this happen that seem to good to be true, they generally are just that. Sarah quickly realises that all is not as it seems in her new place of employment, and find herself drawn into a world from which there may be no escape!

This was my first venture into the writing of Georgina Cross, and certainly won't be my last! Such a novel idea for a story and so wonderfully executed by the author, this was a gripping psychological thriller that grabbed me right from the start, kept me engaged throughout its many dark twists and turns, and spat me out the other end, in wonder at the final big reveal!

I listened to the audiobook version, and the narrator Emma Ashton also did a fantastic job of bringing both the male and in particular the female characters to life.

Will certainly be keeping an eye out for more works from this author.

Narrator 5 stars
Great voice

Story 2.5 stars
This story was interesting in the beginning but it never really went anywhere for me. It was a bit flat.

Utterly compelling!

This book hooked me almost straight away. It started out on a fairly normal path and then quite quickly got very strange but so much so that I had to continue.

I totally felt for the characters and their situations, the author ensured you were invested in their lives.

I really didn’t see the ending coming, at all!

The narrator bought even more life to the story, she added to the whole experience and I enjoyed listening to her.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I enjoyed liyto this audiobook.
It's hard for me to categorise this as a psychological thriller,but I admit that it has a good note of suspanse,and that it can keep you on the tiptoes between chapters.
Good narrative line,maybe a bit of unrealistic,but i guess this kind of books are not there to give us reality but a different perspective.
I liked the narrator,I believe it was a good job getting to the characters so it's easy to the listener to understand who is who.

Sarah is broke. She is paying off her beloved Aunt Clara’s medical bills, working a low paid job in a restaurant, trying to hold on to her New York apartment.

So when she sees a flier for a new job - one that will solve all her problems - just for a bit of discretion and a few months’ commitment, she jumps at the chance.

At first all is well. The Bird family are weird, and nannying for child who doesn’t exist is weirder still, but the money is worth it. But things are about to get worse. Much worse.

This in an enjoyable and sometimes gripping thriller. I think you can see the main twist coming from quite early on, but it’s still readable. I did question the drug angle, it seemed a bit over the top, and I wish they had padded Sarah’s character out a bit more - I liked all her interest in fashion, but this wasn’t developed particularly fully.

If you are a fan of this type of psychological thriller - and want to read about the higher echelons of New York society, you will probably enjoy this book.

This was a bit of a rollercoaster read; some bits were totally gripping whilst other parts just seemed too implausible. Sarah needs money as her debts spiral out of control and she answers an ad to be a nanny to a very wealthy family. She has no experience, but is hired anyway, the paramount condition being absolute discretion. That doesn’t seem like much of an ask…but once she takes up the post, her life is totally controlled.

I quickly worked out the first twist, but later turns were unexpected. It’s fast paced and well written and there’s food for thought in terms of how far one might go to protect oneself, or indeed others. It’s an interesting debut and the narration throughout is superb. There was a real feel for the rich, twisted eccentrics and Sarah was entrapped. I’ll look out for more from Georgina Cross. This is a 3*+, but not quite a 4.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.

Sarah Larsen is heavily in debt and working wait jobs with her fiancé. Every call or letter brings another bill.

One day an advert appears in the lobby of their apartment. A family is looking for a Nanny. What has Sarah got to loose. She applies. She is seemingly given her dream job working for the Bird family. She is to work in a glamourous penthouse. Will be earning a massive salary. Plus for not many hours. All looking after a girl called Patty.

Sarah also signs a contract that prevents her telling anyone about her job.. Without reading she later finds there are other things in the contract that binds her.

It soon appears things are not what they appear and Sarah is seemingly trapped. Around her her life crumbles. Can Sarah get out before its too late.

I loved this book. The storyline had you gripped. I gave myself a pat on the back as I figured out one major twist.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to hear an advanced copy of the book.